Michigan hockey upsets Minnesota, 4-3, for second straight Big Ten hockey tournament title

If the Big Ten ever returns its hockey tournament to a single-site format, as it was for the beginning of the conference, Michigan hockey might have a suggestion: 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis.

For the second consecutive season, the second-seeded Wolverines went into the den of top-seeded Minnesota and came away with a 4-3 victory to claim the Big Ten title and the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. Last season, the Wolverines dominated for 58 minutes. Saturday’s matchup was much tighter, with the teams trading the lead several times, but the Wolverines prevailed again.

Sophomore Dylan Duke scored off his backhand with 8:14 remaining in the third period to give Michigan its second straight Big Ten tournament title and virtually assure the Wolverines (24-11-3) of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The 16-team field will be ...